Why Antarctica Is Called the White Continent

Antarctica earns the moniker "White Continent" because roughly 98% of its surface is covered by a permanent ice sheet. This ice averages 2,160 meters (7,087 ft) thick, reaching a maximum of 4,776 meters (15,670 ft). The brilliant white surface reflects the vast majority of incoming solar radiation, creating its dazzling appearance from space and on the ground.

Paradoxically, Antarctica is also a polar desert—annual precipitation (as snow) is extremely low, often less than 50 mm in the interior. The lack of melting means snow accumulates over millennia, compressing into the massive ice sheet. No other continent is so completely draped in ice and snow year-round.